Merc people, tell me about the W210

[Tetleysmooth]

I've seen a W210 e230 for sale over on the blue, but I must admit, I really don't know too much about them.

It's a P plate, so am I right in thinking it could have the non electronic 4 speed autobox, or the later 5 speed troublesome electronic 'box? The sensor plate - urgh.

Didn't these cars have problems with structural rot around the front suspension?

I'll look forward to learning a bit more.

Oh, I do know that these Merc engines are all chain driven

 

Thanks people.

[bub2006]

We had a e200 estate on a R plate. Estate 7 seater. 5 speed auto. The front perches are places to check along with almost everywhere else. Ours pulled off in second unless kickdown was used. The most sluggish and uneconomical car we owned. Apparently the diesels are fantastic though. Unsure how the other engines are. I think they all are cam chains.

[Partridge]

Saw point with me. Rust. Oh, the rust.

 

Do not do it if the chassis number starts with a "ZA" prefix. These were South African cars which rotted the worse out of all of them. Very, very late W210s are meant to be aright. But when I say late, I mean last six months of production late.

[xtriple]

I think that era of 210s are about right at the start of Mercs disasterous period for rust and they rust like a 70s Fiat! I've got to admit though, I still think they are cracking cars - had one as a 'loaner' a year or two back and it had the usual rust on the wings/doors/wheelarches but it was the only auto they had (and that was all I could drive at the time) and it was....

 

really rather nice! Ran beautifully and felt like agreat place to be sat.

 

If you can find one without the dreaded, I'd go for it - but check carefully.

[Lord Sterling]

I've driven a few of them. Many of them seem to rust for fun, some well-kept ones are as solid as a rock. Be wary of electrics, especially any cars with the "infra-red" key, these can be troublesome if they go wrong. A mate of mine owns one and it's been standing for a few years because of the of a problem between the infra-red key and the ECU.

[Spiny Norman]

I can only speak from personal experience, and remember that in my world Alfa 156s are reliable and all VWs and FWD Volvos are shit.
Mine was a P reg. It was about this rusty all over....


I loved it and I think the OMGRUST card is about as deserved as the OMGHGF one is on K series Rovers. IE, yes it's a problem that a lot of them have but there are still enough out there that have either somehow missed it or been fixed and are good to go.
Very nice, stately old things to drive, if rather uninvolving, and a 230 will be almost comically slow.
 

I'd imagine a good one would be very easy to spot and a snotter would make itself known equally easily. I'd have another.

 

 

EDIT: This one, I take it?
http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/169033/1996-merc-e230-petrol-leics

 

Got to be worth close to the asking price as scrap. I got £400 when I scrapped mine.

[rml2345]

If it's not comically rotten and/or actually on fire I can't see how you can go wrong for £300.

[Tetleysmooth]

My fwd Volvo is looking pretty good in comparison.

No rust.

A quick old motor.

Think I'll hang on to it for a while longer.

Thanks fellas.

[Vince70]

Build quality is really hit or miss with the W210.

My neighbour has a petrol one in Jewish Racing Gold on a R plate and it's totally rust free and it never gets washed and never gets serviced and it runs like a dream and has never given the owner any trouble in 4 years of ownership, his only gripe is he has lost the master key and said it would cost as much as the car is worth to get a new one..

 

Yet an old work college of mine bought a white one at 3 years old which was the same age and he really looked after it but it turned a rusty brown in front of his eyes but the oily bits and electrics were trouble free on that one also when it got scrapped for rot.

 

So go prepared and take a big magnet.

[bub2006]

I must admit ours didn't have any signs of bubbling arches and the floor was solid. Shame that the rest of it was so shite. Everyday i came to start it i did wonder if it wouldn't recognise the key or the slightest knock would knacker it up as the ir keys where meant to be very sensitive and fragile.

[forddeliveryboy]

Bit like RR P38 to the original, 210 to 124 - construction-wise, using the good running gear from previous model with a bigger, heavier, more streamlined body. Great for autobahns, not so sure for Britain. I'm told the first and last were least rust-prone. Some lasted less time than a Sud in a salt bath, so bargain prices. 300 turbo-diesel bloody quick, but not so economical unless you maintain a steady, high speed, or acclerate no faster than a 190 two-litre dizzler.

 

Front subframes, front inner wings and spring mounts and the usual front wing Meister-class in rot. I've heard of roofs rotting, the lot - but the dealers hushed it up well. I'd pay bridge price-cost of getting there for a petrol motor, at least you don't have to pay much if anything for the oil which the diesels run on.

[r.welfare]

Is the rust issue not down to two things - (a) the introduction of water based paint and ( the fact that M-B designed it to be 25% cheaper to build than the W124?

[saucedoctor]

Stretched-steel panels was one of the reasons I was told (by a M-B dealer bod, so it may be bollocks)

[forddeliveryboy]

Steel quality dropped off on the last 124s as far as I can tell, my '96 was horrific rust-wise. Yes, the water-based paint was a large factor, but it was rusting in plenty of places where there was a lot more than paint protecting the metal.